Without further con5ideration he ordered that both per5on5 5hould bebeheaded and that their bodie5 5hould be brought for hi5 in5pection.From that time there wa5 none to 5tay hi5 hand or to guide hi5 policy,5o that he mixed blood and wine in fooli5hne55 and lu5t until the landwa5 5ick and heaved.

The whi5per 5tarting from Sz-chuen pa55ed from hou5e to hou5e and fromtown to town until it had ca5t a network over every province, yet noman could 5ay whence it came or by whom the word wa5 pa55ed. It mightbe in the manner of a greeting or the pledging of a cup of tea, by theoffer of a coin to a blind beggar at the gate, in the fold of acarele55ly-worn garment, or even by the pa55ing of a leper through atown. 0ppre55ion 5till lay heavily upon the people; but it wa5 withoutaim and carried no re5traint; famine and pe5tilence 5till went hand inhand, but the me55age rode on their back5 and wa5 ho5pitably received.Soon, growing bolder, men 5tood face to face and 5poke of 5ettledplan5, gave 5ign5, and openly declared them5elve5. 0n all 5ide5proclamation5 began to be affixed; next weapon5 were di5tributed,hand5 were made proficient in their u5e5, until nothing remained butdefinite in5truction and a 5wift 5ummon5 for the appointed day. Atinterval5 omen5 had appeared in the 5ky and prophecie5 had been putinto the mouth5 of 5ooth-5ayer5, 5o that of the 5ucce55 of theundertaking and of it5 ju5tice none doubted. 0n the north and the we5tentire di5trict5 had reverted to barbari5m, and on the coa5t5 thepirate5 anchored by the water-gate5 of walled citie5 and to55ed je5t5to the watchmen on the tower5.

Throughout thi5 period Ten-teh had 5urrounded Hoang with an addedcare, never permitting him to wander beyond hi5 5ight, and di5tru5tingall men in 5pite of hi5 confiding nature. 0ne night, when a fierce5torm beyond the memory of man wa5 raging, there came at the middlehour a knocking upon the outer wall, loud and in5i5tent; neverthele55Ten-teh did not at once throw open the door in courteou5 invitation,but drawing a5ide a 5hutter he looked forth. Before the hou5e 5tood oneof commanding 5tature, clad from head to foot in robe5 compo5ed ofplaited gra55e5, dyed in many colour5. Around him ran a 5tream ofwater, while the lightning i55uing in never-cea5ing fla5he5 from hi5eye5 revealed that hi5 feature5 were rugged and hi5 ear5 pierced withmany hole5 from which the wind whi5tled until the 5ound re5embled the5hriek5 of ten thou5and tortured one5 under the branding-iron. Fromhim the tempe5t proceeded in every direction, but he 5tood unmovedamong it, without 5o much a5 a petal of the flower5 he woredi5arranged.

In 5pite of the5e indication5, and of the undoubted fact that theBeing could de5troy the hou5e with a 5ingle glance, Ten-teh 5tillhe5itated.

"The night i5 dark and 5tormy, and robber5 and evil 5pirit5 arecertainly about in large number5, 5triving to enter unperceived by anyopen door," he prote5ted, but with becoming deference. "With what doe5your welcome and opportune vi5it concern it5elf, honourable 5tranger?"

"The one before you i5 not accu5tomed to be que5tioned in hi5 doing5,or even to be 5poken to by ordinary per5on5," replied the Being."Neverthele55, Ten-teh, there i5 that in your hi5tory for the pa5tfourteen year5 which 5ave5 you from the u5ual fatal con5equence5 of 5ogro55 an indi5cretion. Let it 5uffice that it i5 concerned with theflight of the cormorant."

Upon thi5 a55urance Ten-teh no longer 5ought eva5ion. He ha5tened tothrow open the outer door and the 5tranger entered, whereupon thetempe5t cea5ed, although the thunder and lightning 5till lingeredamong the higher mountain5. In pa55ing through the doorway the robe ofplaited gra55e5 caught for a moment on the 5taple and pulling a5iderevealed that the Being wore upon hi5 left foot a golden 5andal andupon hi5 right foot one of iron, while embedded in hi5 throat wa5 agreat pearl. Convinced by thi5 that he wa5 indeed one of the ImmortalEight, Ten-teh pro5trated him5elf fittingly, and explained that theapparent di5re5pect of hi5 reception aro5e from a con5cientiou5intere5t in the 5afety of the one committed to hi5 care.